Mutiara: The Hidden Nasr City Gem That'll Take You to Thailand

Deep within the hustle and bustle of Nasr City, one of the busiest districts of Cairo, sits a small Thai restaurant. On the outside, Mutiara doesn’t seem very different from any other store there, it’s pretty basic-looking. Walking in, you see a small area with three tables, towards the inner end of the store you’ll see a small kitchen covered with a simple drape. 

In the kitchen is what seems to be seven people, all clamoring in Thai, pumping out food.  If you’re lucky, you’ll get a whiff of whatever divine plate is coming out of there.  The restaurant will probably be crowded with groups of mostly Thai people, since Thai food is mostly eaten family-style. 

The category at this restaurant is authentic Thai food 

The staff is super friendly, given the obvious language barrier, some things may get lost in translation. They will try their best to help you make a choice, but even if you don't completely understand the dish you’re eating, it’s guaranteed to be delightful. The staff does speak Arabic to some extent, and some speak English, but you’ll have to use your handy translator app and your sharpest translation skills on more than one occasion. The menu is roughly translated from Thai to Arabic, so it’s advised to still try and translate the items yourself. 

The most notable items on their menu are the pad Thai, the mee tomyum and mee bundug - the last two are soup dishes with noodles, you can also get just the soup. If you’re a little more adventurous, they make fabulous fish dishes, where you get the entire fish, head and all.  Mutiara is definitely the best example of “don’t judge a book by its cover”, so grab your translator app and a friend, and head over. 

Nothing like a pad Thai to fix all your problems away 

When you’re done, you may find a small boba tea kart right next to the restaurant. Their Thai milk tea is delicious, but have them adjust the sugar to your liking.